Month: March 2024

Today, as the world observes World Water Day on March 22, 2024, the spotlight intensifies on the lifeline of our planet—freshwater. This crucial resource, central to all forms of life, faces unprecedented challenges that threaten its accessibility.

Initiated by the United Nations, World Water Day celebrates this vital resource while sounding an urgent call to action against the growing water crisis. The day serves a reminder for the world to recommit to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ensuring Clean Water and Sanitation for all (SDG 6).

More than 2.2 billion people – 81% of the world population – lack basic access to clean water. With the stark reality that water demand is projected to outstrip supply by 40% by 2030, the imperative for action has never been more critical.

DP World, a global leader in supply chain solutions, is at the forefront of addressing these challenges through comprehensive initiatives that reflect our deep commitment to environmental stewardship and community support.

As a business that enables prosperity to flow around the globe, we have a key role to play in safeguarding ocean health, increasing access to clean water and hygiene, managing our water use and protecting aquatic biodiversity. Recognizing this urgency, we have woven sustainable water management into the fabric of our operations and community engagements worldwide.

Our sustainability strategy, “Our World, Our Future,” lays the groundwork for our approach, focusing on reducing our environmental footprint and advancing global water-related goals, aligning with SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

This year, DP World is set to introduce its Water Conservation Management Strategy, highlighting our commitment to bolstering water efficiency across our global operations. But our commitment doesn’t stop at operational enhancements; it extends into the heart of local communities.

Our World, Our Future

As we observe World Water Day, DP World stands as more than just a participant in global dialogues on water security; we’re leading the charge towards a sustainable, water-secure future. Through educational efforts, community engagements, and strategic partnerships, we’re laying the foundation for a world where water scarcity is no longer a threat to prosperity and well-being.

These activities include:

Hosting a school hygiene workshop in Karachi, India, where our team taught 72 schoolchildren about the importance of hand washing and general personal hygiene.Delivering educational programs about water conservation to more than 900 students across nine schools in Callao, Peru, as part of our “Valuing Water” campaign.Collaborating with CALISUR Foundation to plant mangrove seedlings as a nature-based approach for combatting climate change near Ecuador’s Puná Island.Partnering with Natuurpunt to implement a Source-to-Sea approach to safeguard and restore a precious waterway from plastic pollution.Installing clean water harvesting structures for 9,000 people in India and equipping 54 families with personal-use toilets.

Partnering for Success

Our journey is powered by partnerships with organizations like the CEO Water Mandate and WaterAid, amplifying our impact through collective action. Together, we’re not just aspiring to meet SDGs; we’re working to surpass them, ensuring communities can thrive with access to clean, sustainable water sources.

Water Resilience Coalition 

By joining forces with the CEO Water Mandate’s Water Resilience Coalition – an industry-driven, CEO-led initiative that aims to work collaboratively across the private sector to address water scarcity – we will have the opportunity to align with global leaders dedicated to mitigating water scarcity through collaborative action.

WaterAid

Our global partnership with WaterAid exemplifies our dedication to creating long-lasting change by developing comprehensive WASH infrastructure in communities across Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal, India, and Pakistan.

These projects – which involve constructing solar panel water provision systems, enhancing water infrastructure, and supporting local communities through employment – help bolster community resilience, improve health outcomes, and support sustainable development. With WaterAid, we’re planning to map WASH facilities across our network.

MEGHDOOT 

Innovation fuels our quest for sustainability. Our engagement with Maithri Aquatech’s technology, MEGHDOOT™, converts air humidity into water, demonstrating our commitment to exploring and implementing cutting-edge approaches to water scarcity and contamination. This technology is being piloted in our Jebel Ali Port this year.

A More Secure Water Future 

As we commemorate World Water Day, DP World is not just raising awareness about the importance of water; we’re actively participating in shaping a sustainable future. Through educational initiatives, community workshops, and strategic partnerships, we’re laying the groundwork for a water-secure world.

Our actions reflect our belief in the power of collective effort and innovation to overcome the water challenges of today and tomorrow. As we continue our journey towards sustainability and resilience, we remain committed to empowering our communities, protecting our planet, and ensuring that water, the source of all life, is preserved and cherished for generations to come.

On this World Water Day, let us all reaffirm our commitment to water stewardship and embrace our role in securing a sustainable and equitable water future for everyone, everywhere.

Learn more about DP World’s global sustainability initiatives.

###

Verizon

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., March 22, 2024 /3BL/ – Verizon Innovative Learning, the company’s signature education initiative focused on driving digital equity and inclusion through a suite of programs and resources, is continuing to partner with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) to bring the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and community colleges.

Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers is a free, project-based immersive STEM program open to middle school students in under-resourced communities to explore STEM subjects, learn problem-solving skills and gain exposure to career opportunities in technology fields. In 2023, 90% of students in the summer program said they enjoy learning new things that involve STEM and 83% said that they can use STEM to impact issues affecting the community, nation, and/or the world. This year, Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers is expanding and now able to accommodate more students: from 11,900 last year to 13,500+ students this year.

The program’s interactive curriculum, developed by Verizon in partnership with Arizona State University’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, centers on four educational tracks: immersive media, smart solutions, digital product innovations and artificial intelligence. Participating students receive mentorship, access to next-gen technology– such as 3D printing, augmented reality (AR) and robotics, and hands-on training connected to real-world challenges that help teach design thinking and social entrepreneurship. The program is held on the campuses of 45 HBCUs, HSIs and community colleges across the country.

“As tech and AI continue accelerating the pace of innovation, it’s up to all business leaders to ensure digital equity and inclusion,” said Rose Stuckey Kirk, Verizon’s Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer. “One of our many strategies to address this is Verizon Innovative Learning’s STEM Achievers summer program, in partnership with NACCE, which provides students with hands-on learning, mentorship, and opportunities to engage with emerging technologies and develop the necessary skills to succeed in the digital workforce. The opportunity for students to engage with tech over the summer and propel their own learning and digital skills can set them up for success during the school year, beyond middle school and in life. Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers do big and bold things through the program and beyond – both inside and outside the classroom – and Verizon is honored to be part of their journey.”

Free registration is now open for parents to sign up their rising 6th – 8th grade students for the summer sessions being offered in-person. The Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program also consists of one in-person full-day workshop, both in the fall and spring, onsite at the partner college. To sign up for Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers, please visit here.

Next-gen learning for all

Teachers and students can also leverage Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, an award-winning, free education portal that makes next-gen learning tools, including a curated collection of lesson plans, available to all. Through Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, K-12 educators nationwide gain free access to over 375 lesson plans with 22 corresponding augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) apps. The education portal also provides educators with extensive training and resources, including over 50 professional development courses. Educators can visit Verizon.com/Learning to sign up.

Verizon Innovative Learning, Verizon’s award-winning education initiative, is celebrating over a decade of commitment to addressing barriers to digital inclusion for students and teachers. Since 2012, the initiative has committed $1 billion in market value to support digital equity, reaching over 7 million students. Verizon Innovative Learning provides free technology, internet access and innovative learning programs to students in under-resourced communities – enabling students to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to build an innovative workforce of the future. A key initiative under Citizen Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan for economic, environmental and social advancement, Verizon Innovative Learning is helping to drive the company’s goal to provide 10 million youths with digital skills training by 2030.

Media contact 
Hope Arcuri Armanus 
hope.arcuri.armanus@verizon.com

PORTLAND, Ore., March 22, 2024 /3BL/ —Get Schooled has received a $300,000 grant from KeyBank to further its outreach to first-gen-to-college youth in the Pacific Northwest. Get Schooled provides personalized support along three journeys including helping prepare them to continue their education after high school, throughout the first year of higher-ed, and finding and succeeding in their first jobs and early careers.

The purpose of the investment in Get Schooled – and in the youth they serve – is to support a dramatic increase in FAFSA completion and postsecondary matriculation among potential first-gen-to-college students. The grant focuses on 21 of the most challenged high schools in Portland, Reynolds, Seattle, and Tacoma school districts in a unique partnership between three KeyBank markets—Seattle-Cascades, South Puget Sound and Oregon/Southwest Washington. These high schools were identified based on racial demographic data and 2022-23 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rates (which is a collective 54%).

To operationalize this investment, Get Schooled plans to work directly with the high schools, their counselors, each district and directly with students to provide high quality content and personalized supports to their seniors, with additional engagements with juniors. Key among the many supports will be to help students them with the many elements of college and career readiness, including college application essay and scholarship support, resume reviews and early career exploration. Of particular importance will be to encourage students to complete the FAFSA/ORSAA/WASFA – an essential step that can unlock much-needed financial aid and scholarship opportunities.

“At KeyBank, our mission is to help our communities thrive, and we know that an important building block is helping underserved youth realize their full potential and develop the skills that will lead to successful and fulfilling careers,” says Josh Lyons, KeyBank Oregon and SW Washington Market President. “An educated workforce is at the heart of a prosperous regional economy, and we were delighted to come together as three leaders to support this proven organization and maximize our impact across a larger geography.”

“Get Schooled is thrilled to receive this investment from KeyBank,” said John Branam, CEO of Get Schooled. “Supporting first-gen-to-college youth in achieving their full potential is foundational to our region’s ability to thrive – and this goal sits at the heart of this investment. And in an era of ambiguous corporate values, we’re grateful and excited to partner with KeyBank – a company that brings clarity and intentionality to its corporate social responsibility.”